What is lead response time?

The definition of lead response time refers to a metric that gauges how long it takes to follow up with a lead that has contacted a business (either by calling, emailing or filling out a form). Lead response came to the forefront following a famous study in the Harvard Business Review which showed that sales reps are seven times more likely to have a meaningful conversation with leads if they respond to them within the first hour. The study found that sales reps were 60 times more likely to qualify a lead than if they waited 24 hours to follow up with a lead. Sales managers can use sales management software to track a variety of call metrics including lead response time.